Antiepileptic drugs can worsen idiopathic generalized epilepsies.

Antiepileptic drugs can sometimes worsen idiopathic generalized epilepsies. Relevant data are based on empirical experience of epileptologists and on few published case-reports according to the suspected drug with serious met hodological limitations. Some animal models of epileptic syndromes such as genetic models of absence seizures in rat seem to be helpful for understand ing the possible mechanisms underlying drug-induced syndrome aggravation. A dequate epileptic syndrome diagnosis is needed before starting antiepilepti c drug.